Left: The high school students chosen to attend OYLA pose for a photo during the three-day youth leadership conference held July 23-25 in
Oklahoma City. Top Right: Krista Carroll, Bree Kisling and Allison Rhodes help fill packs of nutritious food for the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma’s
Food for Kids backpack program. Bottom Right: Morgan Nipp presents a project she created during an Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom activity. The
students learned lessons to teach agriculture to elementary students in their hometowns.

Eleven high school students attend YF&R’s youth leadership program
igh school seniors from across the
state attended the Oklahoma Youth
Leading Agriculture conference held July
23-25 in Oklahoma City.
The OYLA conference is a three-day
annual event hosted by Oklahoma Farm
Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers to
prepare high school students for a future
career in agriculture and to advance youth
leadership. The conference provided an
opportunity to learn more about Farm
Bureau, the agriculture industry, leadership
and more.
This year’s OYLA class included Kyra
Bentley, Harper County; Rayanne Bowman,
Payne County; Krista Carroll, Johnston
County; Gage Clemmer, Comanche County;
Cade Jenlink, Alfalfa County; LaBreska

Jones, Tulsa County; Bree Kisling, Garfield
County; Lucas Morrow, Pontotoc County;
Morgan Nipp, Carter County; Allison
Rhodes, Caddo County; and Peyton Smith,
Payne County.
During the conference, OKFB President
Rodd Moesel and Executive Director
Thad Doye explained the importance of
the grassroots farm organization and the
significance of being involved on the local,
state and national levels. Students also
discovered real-life tips on sharing their
agriculture story with friends, family and
the public with Oklahoma Beef Council
Executive Director Heather Buckmaster.
The group toured Oklahoma City-based
Lopez Foods, Inc., which provides protein
products for restaurants and retailers

across the country and the world including
McDonald’s.
The OKFB communications department
trained the OYLA group to talk with media
including radio and television outlets, while
Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom’s Melody
Aufill taught the students activities to use to
share agriculture with elementary students
in their hometown.
The students also learned teamwork and
leadership skills at the University of Central
Oklahoma ropes course.
The OYLA conference ended with a visit
to the state Capitol, where students heard
about serving in the state Legislature from
Sen. Chris Kidd.

OKFB August
Area Meetings
begin next week
District One
August 6 | 6 p.m.
Hunny’s, Guymon
August 7 | 6 p.m.
Big Dan’s, Woodward
District Two
August 14 | 6 p.m.
Kiowa County Farm Bureau, Hobart
District Three
August 16 | 6 p.m.
Canadian County Farm Bureau, El Reno
District Four
August 9 | 6 p.m.
Wright’s Steakhouse, Duncan

Three nursing students awarded $500
scholarships from WLC
ade Baldwin of Stephens County,
Cheyanne Gibbens of Okmulgee
County and Logan Hukill of Caddo County
each recently were awarded a scholarship
to study nursing by the Oklahoma Farm
Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee.
The annual scholarship program awards
three $500 scholarships to students
studying nursing at an accredited college,
university, vo-tech or trade school.
Applicants must be Oklahoma Farm Bureau
members or a member of a Farm Bureaumember family.
“Our committee chooses to support
nursing students because we see
firsthand the need for qualified healthcare
professionals in rural areas,” said Kitty
Beavers, OKFB WLC chair. “We’re grateful

to play a role in helping these future nurses
succeed in their careers.”
The WLC recognizes the significant role
nurses play in ensuring a high quality of life
for all Oklahomans, especially those in rural
areas. With the cost of education rising
yearly, the committee is proud to provide
three students with scholarships to aid in
their pursuit of a career in nursing.
OKFB WLC promotes the importance
of family and health, safety and crime
prevention, state and national agricultural
issues, voter awareness and citizenship,
Agriculture in the Classroom and much
more. To learn more about the WLC
program, visit okfarmbureau.org/women.

Oklahoma Farm Bureau Online
OKFB President Rodd Moesel talks trade
assistance package with OKC’s Fox 25 News
After the Trump administration announced a $12 billion trade assistance
package last week, OKFB President Rodd Moesel said Oklahoma farmers
would rather export their commodities around the world. Find a link to
the full story on the OKFB Facebook page.

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What’s on the minds of OKFB members?
Follow August Area Meeting coverage
Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s annual August Area Meetings kick off next
week, where members around the state will gather to begin the
organization’s grassroots policy development. Find the information
for your area meeting in the schedule above. Can’t make the meeting?
Check out the OKFB Twitter and Facebook pages to follow along.

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YF&R names winners
of 2018 high school
discussion meet
ace Mittlestaedt of the Amber-Pocasset
FFA Chapter was named the winner
of the 2018 Oklahoma Farm Bureau
Young Farmers and Ranchers High School
Discussion Meet held July 17 during the
Oklahoma State University Big Three Field
Days in Stillwater.
The other top four finalists included Rio
Bonham of Madill FFA, Cade Jenlink of
Timberlake FFA, and Jaycee Shelburne of
Durant FFA.
“From learning more about agricultural
issues to developing key discussion skills,
the high school students who participate
in this contest walk away with critical
skills they’ll use well into the future,” said
Brent Haken, OKFB YF&R vice chair. “As
a committee, we’re proud to invest in these
bright young leaders in agriculture.”
The high school discussion meet allows
high school students to participate in an

OKFB YF&R committee members Brittany Krehbiel (far left) and Brent Haken (far right)
flank the 2018 YF&R High School Discussion Meet top four individuals: (left to right) Pace
Mittlestaedt, Amber-Pocasset FFA; Rio Bonham, Madill FFA; Cade Jenlink, Timberlake FFA;
and Jaycie Shelburne,Durant FFA. The contest was held July 17 at OSU’s Big Three Field Days.
event that builds basic discussion skills,
develops an understanding of agricultural
issues, and explores how groups can pool
knowledge to find solutions. The contest
was open to high school junior and senior
FFA and 4-H members.

The event participants competed in two
rounds of discussion before being narrowed
to the final four. As top four finalists, the
students earned $1,500, $1,000, $500 and
$250 college scholarships.

Oklahoma Farming and Ranching
Foundation presents $8,000 to
Oklahoma 4-H families affected
by spring wildfires
Representatives of Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Oklahoma Farming and
Ranching Foundation present an $8,000 check to the Oklahoma 4-H
Foundation for 4-H member families affected by spring wildfires at
the State 4-H Roundup held July 26 on the Oklahoma State University
campus in Stillwater. Thanks to the generosity of individuals across
the state and nation, each 4-H family will receive $1,000 from the
Oklahoma Farming and Ranching Foundation to aid in recovery efforts.

Member Benefits

Calendar

M. Rhodes Company

OKFB August Area Meetings
August 6-23
Contact: Ron Justice 405-523-2344

M. Rhodes Company offers Oklahoma Farm Bureau members a 33
percent discount from nationally published prices on an applied
basis on ALCOA steel or vinyl siding. For more information, call the M.
Rhodes Company at 405-721-2807. Also, see their ad in every issue of
OKFB’s Oklahoma Country magazine.

Oklahoma Farming and Ranching Foundation donates $50,000 for
wildfire relief at Oklahoma Cattlemen’s convention
he Oklahoma Farming and Ranching
Foundation presented $50,000 to
the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation’s
disaster relief fund at the annual Oklahoma
Cattlemen’s Association convention
Saturday, July 21, in Norman.
The check was presented on stage during
the OCA awards banquet by representatives
from Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Oklahoma
Farming and Ranching Foundation.
The funds were collected through
donations by the Oklahoma Farming and
Ranching Foundation to help aid farmers,
ranchers and rural communities after
springtime wildfires in western Oklahoma.
“We are proud to partner with the
Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation to
directly help farmers and ranchers who
were affected by this spring’s wildfires,”
said David VonTungeln, president of
the Oklahoma Farming and Ranching
Foundation. “We know replacing fencing
and property is an expensive and timeconsuming task, and we’re glad to help
make the road to full recovery a little bit
easier with this donation.”

Oklahoma Farming and Ranching Foundation representatives present a $50,000 check
for wildfire relief efforts to the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation during the annual
Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association convention in Norman July 21, 2018.
“We want to thank the Oklahoma
Farming and Ranching Foundation for
their generosity,” said Weston Givens,
president of the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s
Foundation. “We are very proud and
honored to partner with Oklahoma Farm
Bureau’s foundation to help agriculture

families affected by wildfire.”
The funds will be distributed by the
Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation through
an application process. Applications to
receive fire relief assistance from the
Cattlemen’s Foundation were due June 1.